The pressure bottles normally used by underwater divers and firemen, among others, typically contain breathing gas at a pressure of 200-300 bar. These gas bottles are equipped with a first pressure reduction valve which reduces the pressure delivered to the breathing equipment to a magnitude of 10 bar. EP-A1-0 112 765 discloses one example of such a pressure reduction valve. In addition to such a valve the gas bottles also include a so-called bottle valve by means of which the bottles can be re-filled with gas.
Although these two types of valves could physically be integrated into a single unit, the valves include two different valve seats with asssociated valve bodies, one for the pressure reduction valve and the other to the bottle valve. The bottles have also included two different external connections, the other for connecting breathing gas to the breathing equipment and one for connecting the bottle to an external gas source from which the bottle can be re-filled with fresh gas when so required.
The aforedescribed valve arrangement could be greatly simplified by enabling the bottle to be emptied and filled through one and the same connector while using one single valve seat and associated valve body. This would also constitute a significant improvement with regard to safety, since a valve of this nature would only include one sealing location that needs to be checked and maintained for safe functioning.